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What can you say to Siri in iOS 6?
Last year, Steve Sande and I put together a "What can you say to Siri" post that proved to be hugely popular. We'd been working on "Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant", which we initially self-pubbed as an e-book, and then later moved to QUE publishing. We're now working on the second edition of "Talking to Siri" and thought we'd update our original post for iOS 6. A lot of people are now using Siri and Siri-related features. Siri is available on the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, the new third generation iPad, and the fifth generation iPod touch. Dictation-only support also appears in OS X Mountain Lion. There's a lot of Siri going around. As we work on our update, we thought we'd share the following Apple-supplied examples for using Siri. It's only a partial list, but it gives a great flavor of what Siri can do. Standout new features include the sports, movies and restaurant categories recently announced by Apple. But there's a lot more too. Siri now supports arbitrary relationships. You can say "Megan Lavey-Heaton is my favorite comics author" and Siri will add that relationship. You can launch applications by saying "Launch Angry Birds" and post to Twitter and Facebook by voice. Siri also now lets you dismiss her (or him) by voice. Say "Goodbye Siri" and Siri will close the interaction window. The examples that follow below only scratch the surface of what you can do with Siri. We're having a ton of fun discovering all Siri's new improved capabilities. Keep your eyes peeled over the next few months as Steve and I share new favorite tricks and tips as we work on our update. Have you found some great new Siri features? Share them in the comments! ASKING ABOUT CONTACTS What's Emily's address? What is Susan Park's phone number? When is my wife's birthday? Show Lindsey's home email address What's my brother's work address? FINDING CONTACTS Show Brian Conway Find people named Park Who is Jimmy Patrick? ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS My mom is Susan Park Jimmy Patrick is my brother Call my brother at work APP LAUNCHING Open Photos Play Infinity Blade II ADDING EVENTS Set up a meeting at 9 Set up a meeting with Jimmy at 9 Meet with Emily at noon Set up a meeting about hiring tomorrow at 9am New appointment with Susan Park Friday at 3 Schedule a planning meeting at 8:30 today in the boardroom CHANGING EVENTS Move my 3pm meeting to 4:30 Reschedule my appointment with Dr. Patrick to next Monday at 9am Add Emily to my meeting with Brian Cancel the budget review meeting ASKING ABOUT EVENTS What does the rest of my day look like? What's on my calendar for Friday? When is my next appointment? When am I meeting with Jimmy? Where is my next meeting? USING ALARMS Wake me up tomorrow at 7am Set an alarm for 6:30am Wake me up in 8 hours Change my 6:30 alarm to 6:45 Turn off my 6:30 alarm Delete my 7:30 alarm CLOCK What time is it in Berlin? What is today's date? What's the date this Saturday? TIMER Set the timer for ten minutes Show the timer Pause the timer Resume Reset the timer Stop it SENDING EMAIL Email Emily about the trip Email Lindsey about the change in plans New email to Susan Park Mail Dad about the rent check Email Dr. Patrick and say I got the forms, thanks Mail Emily and Brian about the party and say I had a great time CHECKING EMAIL Check email Any new email from Jimmy today? Show new mail about the lease Show the email from Emily yesterday RESPONDING TO EMAIL Reply Dear Susan sorry about the late payment Call him at work FACETIME FaceTime Brian Make a FaceTime call to Susan Park FACEBOOK Post to Facebook headed to the new Pixar movie Write on my wall just landed in San Jose! FIND MY FRIENDS Where's Brian? Where is my sister? Is my wife at home? Where are all my friends? Who is here? Who is near me? Let me know when Jimmy leaves home Let Susan know when I leave work LOCKSCREEN READING Read my notifications Do I have any new messages? MAPS Show me the Golden Gate Bridge Show me a map of 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino California LOCAL BUSINESSES Find coffee near me Where's the nearest coffee shop? Find a gas station near work NAVIGATION How do I get home? Directions to my dad's work Get me directions from San Francisco to Santa Barbara What's my next turn? Are we there yet? What's my ETA? Find a florist along my current route MAPS Show me the Golden Gate Bridge Show me a map of 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino California LOCAL BUSINESSES Find coffee near me Where's the nearest coffee shop? Find a gas station near work NAVIGATION How do I get home? Directions to my dad's work Get me directions from San Francisco to Santa Barbara SENDING MESSAGES Tell Susan I'll be right there Send a message to Brian Conway Send a message to Emily saying how about tomorrow Tell Lindsey the show was great Send a message to Susan on her mobile saying I'll be late Send a message to 408 555 1212 Text Brian and Emily where are you? READING MESSAGE ALERTS Read my new messages Read it again RESPONDING TO MESSAGES Reply that's great news Tell him I'll be there in 10 minutes Call her SEARCHING FOR MOVIE INFORMATION Find Disney movies What comedies are playing? Who starred in Tron Legacy? Who directed Finding Nemo? What is Toy Story 3 rated? FINDING MOVIE SHOWTIMES I want to see the new Pixar movie What's playing at the movies tomorrow? What's playing at Main Street Cinema FINDING MOVIE THEATERS Find some movie theaters near my office READING MOVIE REVIEWS Show me the reviews for Toy Story 3 MAJOR MOVIE AWARDS Which movie won Best Picture in 1983? MUSIC Play Walk by Foo Fighters Play Little Broken Hearts shuffled Play Norah Jones Play some blues Play my party mix Shuffle my roadtrip playlist Play Pause Skip NOTES Note that I spent $12 on lunch Note to self: check out that new Norah Jones album Find my meeting notes Show me my notes from June 25 PHONE Call Brian Call Emily's mobile Call Susan on her work phone Call 408 555 1212 Call home FaceTime Emily REMINDERS Add artichokes to my grocery list Add skydiving to my bucket list Remind me to call mom Remind me to call my mom when I get home Remember to take an umbrella Remind me take my medicine at 6am tomorrow Remind me to pick up flowers when I leave here Remind me when I leave to call Brian Remind me to finish the report by 6 Victor Agreda is my hairdresser Kelly Guimont is my colleague SEARCHING FOR RESTAURANTS Find some burger joints in Baltimore Good Mexican restaurants around here RESERVATIONS Table for four in Palo Alto tonight Make a reservation at a romantic Italian restaurant tonight at 7pm RESTAURANT REVIEWS Show me the reviews for Seven Hills in San Francisco SCORES Did the Giants win? How did Kansas City do? What was the score the last time the Tigers played the Red Sox? Show me the football scores from last night GAME SCHEDULES When do the Giants play next? When is the Boston Red Sox's first game of the season? Show me the schedule for baseball PLAYER INFORMATION Who has the highest slugging percentage? Who has the most home runs on the Giants? Who has the most goals in soccer? Which quarterback has the most passing yards TEAM INFORMATION Show me the roster for the Dodgers Who is pitching for the Miami Marlins this season? Is anyone on the Red Sox injured? STOCKS What's Apple's stock price? What is Apple's PE ratio? What did Yahoo close at today? How is the Nikkei doing? How are the markets doing? What is the Dow at? TWITTER Post to Twitter another beautiful day in Cupertino Tweet with my location great concert Tweet meeting up with Brian Conway for lunch today Tweet the new iPad looks insanely great! hashtag Apple Keynote WEATHER What's the weather for today? What's the weather for tomorrow? Will it rain in Cupertino this week? Check next week's forecast for Burlington What's the forecast for this evening? How's the weather in Tampa right now? How hot will it be in Palm Springs this weekend? What's the high for Anchorage on Thursday? What's the temperature outside? How windy is it out there? When is sunrise in Paris? WEB SEARCH Search the web for polar bears Search for vegetarian pasta recipes Search the web for best cable plans Search Wikipedia for Abraham Lincoln Bing Foo Fighters (We know, we know. Sorry.) WOLFRAM ALPHA What does repartee mean? How many calories in a bagel? What is an 18% tip on $86.74 for four people? Who's buried in Grant's tomb? How long do dogs live? What is the Gossamer Condor? What's the square root of 128? How many dollars is €45? How many days until Christmas? How far away is the Sun? When is the next solar eclipse? Show me the Orion constellation What's the population of Jamaica? How high is Mt. Everest? How deep is the Atlantic ocean? What's the price of gasoline in Chicago?
Plastic Logic granted a second life, scores trial in Russian schools
Poor Plastic Logic, one of the early innovators and hype builders in the e-reader race, has never been able to get its act together. But, following an initial investment of $150 million from Russian firm Rusnano in January, it seems the company has finally found a home for its beleaguered readers. After demoing the units for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the new investors secured a deal for 1,000 of the Que descendents to be given a trial in Russian schools. Perhaps redemption will come for Plastic Logic by succeeding where the Kindle was deemed such an absolute failure.
Plastic Logic receives massive $700 million Russian investment
Who can forget the Plastic Logic Que proReader -- a textbook study on the vaporous gadget. Start with an incredible (but truthful) claim to have developed plastic semiconductors that could be used to fabricate flexible e-reader displays. Then follow up the breakthrough with the all-important consumer tease: an amazing (for the time) 8.5 x 11-inch e-reader with a gesture-based UI that would launch in the first half of 2009. Unfortunately, the Que never shipped and was ultimately canceled, partly because of reliability issues associated with manufacturing those early Que displays and partly because of the launch of a rather disruptive Apple tablet you might have read about. Fast forward to today and we've got the state-owned Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (Rusnano) announcing a $700 million investment in the US-based Plastic Logic Inc. Why? Are you listening? Plastics. Here's how this "unprecedented" investment was described by Georgy Kolpachev, Rusnano's managing director: "Flexible plastic electronic displays will provide another major milestone in how people process information. Entering this new disruptive segment at the stage of its inception gives Russia a chance to win a leading position in global market of future electronics." The investment will be used to pay off Plastic Logic's debt including a $50 million loan the company took out after approaching financial collapse. The rest will be used for a second plastic electronics factory in Russia (a sister to the Dresden Germany plant) which is expected to start production in 2013 or 2014. Update: Press release added after the break offering more details on the "world's largest commercial plastic electronics factory" that will be capable of producing hundreds of thousands of "next-generation plastic electronics displays" per month.
Engadget Podcast 208 - 08.13.2010
It's the Engadget Podcast....to go! Would you like a little Joanna Stern with that? Easy on the Ziegler, buddy - and 86 the Paul, please. All that plus a special toy for kids ten and under that manage to listen all the way to the end. Update: If you've been unable to download the podcast in iTunes or Zune, it's because we had a naming issue -- it's since been fixed and should download properly once the cache breaks. Sorry for the inconvenience! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel Guests: Joanna Stern, Chris Ziegler Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: California Gurls 00:01:30 - The Engadget Show - 011: Peter Molyneux, Fable III, Milo, BlackBerry Torch, Windows Phone 7 00:01:40 - BlackBerry Torch review 00:12:48 - Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone 00:18:38 - Microsoft to open mobile games studio, develop and incubate Windows Phone 7 titles 00:24:42 - Exclusive: Upcoming Apple TV loses 1080p playback, gains apps... and will be renamed iTV 00:36:10 - iPod touch coming in a 'few weeks' with dual cameras and Retina Display, suggests John Gruber 00:39:49 - CDMA iPhone in engineering tests, may arrive in January, says John Gruber 00:43:05 - Plastic Logic kills QUE, 'shifts focus' to second-generation ProReader 00:43:56 - Notion Ink Adam delayed, this time investors are to blame (updated!) 01:47:00 - Notion Ink Adam priced at $498, lives up to promise of being below $499 00:50:20 - Dell Streak on sale August 13 for $300 on AT&T contract, $550 without 00:51:14 - Off-contract Dell Streak is still SIM-locked to AT&T, wrongs still being done in the world 00:52:40 - Exclusive: Dell Thunder prototype rumbles into the wild (video) 00:57:05 - Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract 00:57:50 - Droid 2 R2-D2 edition spied in the wild, ready to repair your X-wing 00:58:30 - Motorola's Droid 2 in the wild, looking as blue as ever 01:04:18 - Motorola's Jha says MOTOBLUR brand will fade from view 01:05:22 - Epic 4G coming August 31st for $249.99 on contract (updated) 01:06:14 - HP CEO Mark Hurd resigns over sexual harassment investigation (updated with liveblog!) 01:07:35 - Former HP CEO Mark Hurd rewarded with a $40m severance after being forced to resign over fraudulent expense reports 01:09:42 - HP tells employees webOS tablet coming Q1 2011 01:11:20 - Pre designer Peter Skillman latest to leave Palm, entire senior staff now in exodus 01:14:56 - Google and Verizon announcing something policy-related at 1:30PM ET -- we're liveblogging right here 01:16:00 - Google and Verizon publish joint policy proposal for 'an open internet' 01:17:00 - Google and Verizon's net neutrality proposal explained Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @reckless @engadget @zpower @joannastern
Plastic Logic kills QUE, 'shifts focus' to second-generation ProReader
And just like that, with the swing of a virtual axe, she's all dead and buried. Plastic Logic has been stuck in a world of perpetual delays ever since wowing the universe with its QUE ProReader at CES, and rather than delaying it again, the company is simply cutting its losses and moving on. To quote CEO Richard Archuleta: "We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer make sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product." To that end, the company plans to "shift its focus to bring to market a second-generation ProReader plastic electronics-based product," but absolutely no details regarding form factor, pricing or an estimated ship date are given. Wilder still, those rumors about a company sale have coincidentally (or not?) flared up again, with the Financial Times stating this go 'round that Plastic Logic could sell a "significant stake" of itself to Rusnano, a Russian state-owned nanotechnology corporation. We're told that the two are currently "in discussions," and that if a deal is reached, Plastic Logic's production facility for this elusive next-gen product would have to be based in Russia. We can't say we're completely shocked at the outcome here, but we're man enough to shed a tear at our loss. Rest easy, QUE -- at least we had our times.
Plastic Logic delays QUE proReader 'a bit longer,' cancels pre-orders
Not good news for those looking for a different e-reader. Back in April, Plastic Logic told those who pre-ordered its QUE proReader that they'd have to wait until June 24 -- after already having been delayed to April. Now that device is being delayed again, and while the company has wizened up and not actually given a new estimated date this time, it also took the unfortunate and ominous move of canceling all pre-orders. In the e-mail sent to those affected (which is after the break) the company says it has "decided that delaying the device a bit longer will result in a better product for you." Hopefully it results in a cheaper product, too, as we're not sure how a $800 reader is going to fare in a world where both the Kindle and nook are available for less than $200. [Thanks, Don; spider photo courtesy of mrpbps]
Plastic Logic expects to ship QUE proReader in June
So, Plastic Logic perhaps isn't for sale, but what about that long-awaited QUE proReader of theirs? Well, we just got an update on that front. A hapless tipster who pre-ordered the devices way back on January 9th just got an email from Plastic Logic saying they should expect a June 24th ship date now. Pre-orderers at least have the opportunity to confirm or deny that they still want the device, and won't be charged until it ships. So, will it be worth the wait? And more importantly: what color will your hovercar be? [Thanks, Shane B.]
Plastic Logic up for sale even though its QUE proReader isn't? (Updated: Investor confirms neither are for sale)
While you can't buy a QUE proReader until summer it seems that you can buy the company. Well, maybe not you but someone with a few hundred million in the bank. At least that's the way the Financial Times is framing a piece focused on UK investor Hermann Hauser, whose venture capital firm has a stake in Plastic Logic. According to Hauser, "We're in very interesting negotiations with ... well, that would be a separate interview, you will hopefully hear [more] about this in the autumn." Why would anybody want to buy this offshoot from the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory? After all, dedicated monochrome E-Ink devices are on their last legs, right? Chips made from plastic, not silicon, that's why -- intellectual property that could revolutionize integrated circuits and the entire computing industry. For the moment, however, Plastic Logic is only manufacturing the simple plastic transistors found inside its QUE proReader display that switch each pixel on or off -- a far cry from PCBs loaded with plastic integrated circuits. And as the FT acknowledges, any potential buyer might end up with an e-reader company and nothing more. Not exactly where you want to be at the dawn of the second coming of tablet computers. Updated: We heard from Plastic Logic investor Hermann Hauser who firmly says the company is not for sale. Apparently his comments were taken out of context. That still doesn't answer our question of when we will be able to get our hands on a QUE proReader. [Thanks, Charlie]
Plastic Logic QUE proReader pre-orders halted?
We're not going to engage in too much wild speculation on this piece of information, but there are certainly a few raised eyebrows in Engadget-land right now. Apparently Plastic Logic is no longer offering pre-orders of its QUE proReader, as a tipster of ours discovered while trying to push through his order of the $799.99, 8GB / 3G version of the large-screen device. According to the order page "Pre-orders are sold out. QUE will be available online and in select Barnes & Noble stores this summer." This of course comes on the heels of news that the company would be further delaying the ship date from mid-April to summer related to "fine-tuning" and "enhancing the overall product experience." So our minds aren't exactly at ease, as we're trying to understand why a company wouldn't just caveat pre-orders by letting people know there's been a run on supply -- though it's possible that Plastic Logic is doing separate batches for mail order and in-store, and just needs to pace themselves. We've reached out to the company for comment, and we'll let you know as soon as we hear back. [Thanks, Clive]
Plastic Logic QUE proReader delayed: time to reevaluate that pre-order?
Did you by any chance get in on the early QUE proReader pre-order? Well, we've got news for you that might be good or bad depending upon your perspective. A pre-orderer just forwarded us an email received from Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic, detailing a shipment delay from mid-April to sometime in the summer, a date echoed by the QUE product site at Barnes & Noble. According to the email, the delay is due to a desire to "fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience." Now the good news: credit cards have not been charged leaving disgruntled hopefuls either $649 (for the 4GB WiFi model) or $799 (for the 8GB WiFi + 3G model) to spend on something else. There are certainly more e-reader choices available now than when the QUE proReader went up for pre-order on January 7th -- though not with the same sophisticated business-use approach or big 10.5-inch display... for that, you'll have to wait for Skiff to ship. Or maybe you'd prefer a full color LCD tablet instead? Regardless, you do have choices. Full email after the break. [Thanks, Anonymous Tipster]
The Engadget Show - 005: Google's Erick Tseng, CES wrap-up, WiDi, AR.Drone, and more!
Well it's been a wild couple of weeks here at Engadget. Between CES 2010 (our biggest show ever), the Nexus One launch, forthcoming Apple announcements (and loads of Apple rumors), it's unlikely we'll forget the start of our new decade anytime soon. Still, amidst all the craziness we had time to sit down for another Engadget Show -- and what a show it was. Grab a loved one and a tasty beverage of your choosing and settle in to watch our in-depth interview with Erick Tseng, a wrap-up of all things CES, plus fascinating demos of Intel's new Wireless Display, Parrot's crazy AR.Drone, the Plastic Logic QUE, Alienware's M11X, and so much more. Tune in now -- you'll kick yourself if you miss this. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Special guest: Erick Tseng Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Michael Slavens Music by: Glomag Visuals by: Dan Winckler Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 005 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 005 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Plastic Logic QUE proReader hits the FCC, torn down with its warning labels showing
Sure, we've shown you plenty of pictures of the outside of PlasticLogic's QUE proReader, but we all know that it's what's inside that counts. The device has done its civic duty at the FCC and bared everything to the world, showing off the location of an FCC warning label that was not "aesthetically desirable" on the outside of this device with its "unique enclosure finish and form factor," so it was instead moved inside near the battery -- the big blue thing that someone has thoughtfully written "FULL" on. (If only recharging it were that easy.) Beyond that no shocking bits of information were revealed, but now there should be nothing standing in the way of this thing's planned April release at a Barnes & Noble near you.
Engadget Podcast 177: CES 2010 Day 3 - 01.08.2010
It took every bit of geeky fortitude we had left in our bodies to tear ourselves away from @LadyGaga's tweeterfeed for an hour and produce this podcast for you, but we did it. Feel appreciative?Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerProducer: Trent WolbeSong: Bad RomanceHear the podcast01:40 - Live from Palm's CES 2010 press event03:25 - Palm swings open doors to App Catalog's innards03:35 - Palm gets serious about 3D gaming on webOS04:00 - Video recording coming to all webOS devices in February (updated: Flash, too!)04:10 - Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus first hands-on (video)!04:40 - Palm introduces Palm Pre Plus: 16GB, coming to Verizon on January 25th06:30 - Palm Pixi Plus: WiFi-equipped and heading to Verizon23:10 - Palm intros Mobile Hotspot app, guaranteed to make your router jealous25:47 - Live from Dell's CES 2010 press event26:42 - Alienware M11X netbook gets official, costs less than a grand26:55 - Alienware M11x hands-on27:20 - Dell teases the Streak?29:00 - Dell slate (secret) hands-on30:00 - Dell 5-inch slate press pics want you to study them30:30 - Dell Mini 3 lightning hands-on33:17 - Live from NVIDIA's CES press event33:35 - NVIDIA announces Tegra 2, tablets en route35:00 - Plastic Logic QUE proReader in-depth video hands-on38:20 - Live from Paul Otellini's Intel CES keynote39:50 - Intel launches AppUp Center app store for Atom-powered devices (updated with hands-on impressions)40:25 - Intel announces WiDi HD wireless display technology43:27 - LG GW990 hands-on video48:12 - Spring Design announces partnership with Borders, lowers price on Alex reader49:35 - Notion Ink Adam prototype hands-on: it looks nothing like the render, but it's still pretty wild52:32 - Boxee Box confirmed to have Tegra 2, Boxee Beta now open to all Subscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Plastic Logic QUE proReader in-depth video hands-on
Our time this morning with the QUE proReader was all too short, so we took another pass at the device -- this time armed to the teeth with our very best touchscreen gestures. We have to say, the more we play with it, the more we like it. The interface is very well thought out, the touchscreen keyboard is very responsive (though a little awkward to type on in landscape mode) and the general functionality is just about perfect for this sort of device. It's not going to change the world, and the price means it'll be only for a very select sort of user, but we have a sneaky feeling that those users are going to be pretty smug folks once this thing starts shipping. Check out the video after the break. %Gallery-82145%
Plastic Logic QUE proReader first hands-on (with video!)
We just got to hold the new crazy-thin QUE proReader, and it's pretty much all that and a bag of chips. The touchscreen seems resistive, but it's plenty sensitive, and the 1 second-ish page refresh rate makes it pretty usable. They weren't lying about the device feeling and looking like plastic, but we really do mean that in the nicest way possible. There's USB and a power button on the bottom, but looking at it straight on the device is about as minimal as could be. We'll have to really play with one before we can comment on usability, but from first glance the interface looks intuitive, well laid-out and surprisingly packed with functionality. Update: We've got video up now as well. Look at all that sexy! %Gallery-81986%
Plastic Logic debuts QUE proReader, shows off truVue publications
We're at Plastic Logic's CES press event, where they're at last showing off the finalized, market-ready QUE e-reader. The idea is to create a whole "new" device type for business professionals. There's a fullscreen touchscreen interface, with no touchscreen, and the device can work with email, calendar (including Outlook support) and other information outside of documents. "We're not just developing an e-reader, we're developing a complete solution space." The device design was based on the look of black and white print, and wanted to avoid metal in materials to drive home the "plastic" element. It's supposed to look like a glass container with ink. The only physical button on the frame the home button on the top right corner. The device controls with taps but also gestures. You can "swipe" through calendar days, for instance, and screen refreshes look very fast. The device can view and annotate Powerpoint, Word, Excel and PDF documents. You can create your own pre-defined searches for sorting devices, and the interface looks closer to an AJAXY website than an e-reader. With a finger you can draw directly on the screen for annotations, but while there's a touchscreen keyboard for annotations, it looks slow as sin. As previously announced, the device uses the Barnes & Noble web and device-based e-book store for a business-target selection of titles (and regular books as well), and B&N claims the QUE is a complementary and differentiated product from its own Nook -- and it's hard to disagree. One surprise of the presser is the new truVue format for publications that Plastic Logic supports. The standard was developed in conjunction with Adobe, and it preserves some of the style and layout (though certainly not all) of a print publication, with publishers such as Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Thompson Reuters and more on board.. To get documents onto the device you can print to a "QUE it" printer, as well as drag and drop documents to a "QUE it" droplet on the desktop for automagical document transfers. There's also a QUE application for the BlackBerry, which can bump any email or attachment from the BlackBerry to the QUE over Bluetooth. QUE has partnered with Good for "QUE Mail" and "QUE Calendar," with support for Exchange, Gmail, Windows Live and other email accounts. The device has Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G under the hood, with AT&T providing the wireless data. The proReader ships in mid-April, with pre-orders starting today. The 4GB model without 3G goes for $649, while the 8GB model retails with the AT&T onboard is $799. Wowsa. Naturally, this is just the start for Plastic Logic, and we should be seeing plenty more devices from the company, and PL also promises to extend the functionality of the proReader on an ongoing basis. There's full PR after the break. %Gallery-81988%
QUE proReader hitting Barnes & Noble retail stores in 2010
In a rather odd unfolding of events, it seems as if Barnes & Noble is finally clearing up the mystery behind that Plastic Logic e-reader slated to hit its retail locations by Spring of 2010. After making said announcement, the book seller then went out and introduced an e-book reader of its very own in the Nook, and only now are we learning that the Plastic Logic-built QUE proReader will also be splashing down at the outfit sometime next year. In a brief release posted today, we're told that the recently teased big-screen reader (8.5- x 11-inches) 10.5-inch will be sold throughout B&N's retail footprint and on its website; makes sense given that B&N is powering the proReader's online e-book store, but the fact that it'll be placed prominently near the outfit's own (somewhat competing) device is certainly interesting. We're expecting to see more come CES 2010, and seriously, with the rate at which these readers are hitting brick-and-mortar locations, Amazon might want to consider implementing some kind of physical trial in order to not go overlooked in its corner of the web. Update: Plastic Logic rather dubiously lists "large 8-1/2 x 11-inch shatterproof display" on its specsheet. A bit of digging into the Barnes and Noble listing, however, reveals the following spec "Display (viewable area): 10.5-inch diagonal, 944 x 1264 pixels at 150ppi, 8 gray levels." Sneaky.
Plastic Logic teases QUE proReader with 8.5 x 11-inch touchscreen
Details are scarce, since the official launch won't happen until January 7 at CES next year, but Plastic Logic is looking to crash into the "pro" segment of the e-reader market (currently mostly occupied by the Kindle DX) with its upcoming QUE proReader. The unit uses E Ink Vizplex tech in a shatterproof display the size of a regular piece of paper at 8.5 x 11-inches, and has 3G wireless capabilities courtesy of AT&T and a business-centric ebook store at QUEreader.com which will be powered by Barnes & Noble. There's also a touchscreen interface, but it's unclear if that covers the entire display, or is something more akin to the leaked photos we've seen of the Barnes & Noble reader. The device is "less than 1/3-inch thick," and can handle PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents, including tools for "interacting with and managing the content," which sounds beyond the scope of most e-readers on the market currently. We'll have to wait and see how useful the interface really is, and how much damage (if any) that touchscreen sensor does to readability, but a bit of diversification in the ebook space sounds like a good thing on paper. Full PR is after the break.
Patch 3.1 Battleground queue updates
Out of the blue tonight, the blustering Blizzard Blue bard Eyonix, came out and let us know about a few things that'll be happening with the Patch 3.1 battleground queue (see what queuing will be like now): Players will not be able to queue while dead. If you queue and accept to enter a battleground while in flight, you'll be returned to a designated destination. Now the first point is clearly to prevent dodging of corpse runs or mess around with corpse camping. As far as the second point, this is interesting and pretty much provides another way of ghetto hearthing in some circumstances (remember, ghetto hearthing is being removed in patch 3.1). Not that you should take advantage of this or anything, and chances are it'll be hotfixed relatively quickly upon release of patch 3.1.
The Queue: Meow now
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today. The above picture took me all of five minutes to put together. Super Troopers is a great movie, and I encourage you all to go watch it today. But finish reading WoW Insider first, and in particular finish reading The Queue to understand the reference. How many times can Alex say Mountain Dew? The answer is a lot. Update: Go and read Massively's take on the coming Mountain Dew. It's quite good.037 asked..."Now that you can queue for battlegrounds from anywhere, are we looking at the new ghetto hearth?"
